Since Robert's Rules of Order first was published in 1896, it's been the means to orderly, smooth, and fairly conducted meetings. "Where there is no law, but every man does what is right in his own eyes, there is the least of real liberty, " said General Henry M. Robert, and his gift of order is as indispensable now as it was a century ago. Robert's Rules of Order is the short title of a book containing rules of order intended to be adopted as a parliamentary authority for use by a deliberative assembly. It is the most widely used parliamentary authority in the United States, according to the National Association of Parliamentarians, a professional association of approximately 4, 000 members which provides education and accreditation certifications for parliamentarians.